roosevelt



(NoModel.)

'2 sheen-sheet 1.

Patented May 28, 1895.'

2. t e e h s .w .e e h s 2 T L... wm ...m NU O 0G RR .A Ao. J. 1e d o M o m lNo. 540,111

Patented May 28, 1895.

. e nl 777m l PNL Q l?? il NTTED STATES PATENT EErcE.

JAMES A. ROOSEVELT, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR `OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS H. WHELESS, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,111, dated May 28, 1895. Application filed October 5, 1894. Serial No. 525.001- (No model.)4

. as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in car-couplings, and it consists of certain improvements upon the invention described in Letters Patent N o. 520,380 for an improvement in car couplings, granted to me May 22, 1894.v I

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure l representsafront view of a freightcar body provided with the improved carcoupling. Fig. 2 represents a front View of the platform of a passenger-car provided with theinnproved car-coupling. Fig. 3 represents a front elevation of the draw-head after the knuckle has been removed therefrom and with the latch down.' Fig. 4 represents a similar view to Fig. 3 and with the latch up. Fig. 5 represents a section along the line a: of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents a detail perspective view of part of the draw-head. Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of the knuckle as inverted, and Fig. 8 represents a detail view of the loop for supporting the hooked end of the hand-rod for uncoupling the coupler when used on freightcars.

A or A represents the car body.

B represents the drawhead O, the knuckle; O, the pivot-pin; D, the locking-latch; E, the

latch spring; H, the pin for holding the latch` imposition; K or K', the tripping lever, and M or M the hand rod for operating the same.

The drawhead B is hollow, and of the Master Oar Builders type. It is provided with arranged in a circle about the hole b for the f pivot pin. The base of the drawhead is pro- *vided with two lugs btbetween which the bellcrank lever is pivoted.

The knuckle'O is pivoted in the drawhead in the usual way. The locking arm c of the knuckle is provided with a circular wing c adapted to swing into the corresponding groove b' in the drawhead and has a square holding face c2. The body of the knuckle is provided with a hole c for the pivot pin, and with four wedge-shaped teeth having inclined faces c3 adapted to engage the inclined faces b5 of the drawhead, and vertical faces c4 to engage the vertical faces h6 of the drawhead.

The lock or latch D is provided with an enlarged heel d fitting in the circular groove in the drawhead, and acting as a pivot to the said lock, the said heel having a groove do to engage the holding pin H, as shown in Fig. 5. The said latch is also provided with an inclined face d', a fiat lug d2 on its rear edge, a

projecting arm cl3 and a lug dton the back `through the hole b3 in the drawhead, andengages in the groove do and so prevents the lock D from being accidentally removed from the drawhead. The back of the lock D is inv close proximity to but free from contact with .the wall at `the rear portion of the hollow part of the drawhead.

'Ihe bell-crank tripping lever K is pivoted between the lugs b4, and is rounded at Zt; on the tripping arm, as shown in Fig. 4. Since in freight cars it is desirable to operate the car coupling from the right side of the car,while in passenger cars the car coupling lever is generally arranged near the opposite side, the bell-crank lever may be arranged either as shown at K for passenger cars, or as shown at K for freight cars, the lead of the rod M or M being different accordingly. On passenger cars the rod M'- connects the bell-crank lever K to the hand lever Q in the ordinary way. On freight cars, I preferably use a hand rod M hooked as at m and engaging a loop P. This hook m will hold the tripping arm 7e of the lever K out of engagement with the latch ICO D, and will thus prevent the cars from becoming accidentally uncoupled. Moreover the hook m has another function which will be hereinafter described.

The operation of the device is as follows: Suppose the knuckle to be open, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. v5, and another carv p-r'of vided with a coupler ofthe MasterCar Build!` ers type to be backing down to couple on.

When the cars come together the knuckle C.. is swung around. The shank of the knuckle which already supports the latch in a partly raised position, wedges under the inclined face d' of the lock iD, raises the lock :upward against the spring E until 4the a-rmb passes behind the catch d5 when the lock springs down again, firmly locking the knuckle in place. At the-same time thehook-shaped wing c has entered the -recess andfgives a firm hold in casethepivot pin carries'away. Now,

suppose the'two cars to be coupledtogether,y

and it be desired to uncouple. Bypulling-on the rod M (or M) the tripping lever K (or K) f willbe brought into't'he position shown in Fig.

4, when the lug Z2 of the lock will rest upon less extraneous pressure be applied. Thus it will be seen that vthe knuckle will always' remain open and ready for locking, and that there will be no necessity for the ytrain hand topass between the cars for thepurpose of; opening the knuckle should itibecome acci-i dentally closed. TWo of these teeth should;

-be approximately at right langles to -the longitudinal'axis of the car,whereby the dra-ft strain may be takenup by said teeth should the pivot pin be'broken or misplaced. Having four of these teeth limits the outward swing ofthe knuckle toy ninety degrees, and-insures a more rapid swing to the opened `positionf; than where a less number of teeth are used. l By having four teeth each occupying the quad- '1 rant of a circle about the hole yfor the pivotry pin, and two of them arranged at approximately right angles to the longitudinal axis of the car, the draft strain will be taken up: to such an extent-by one of 'the said Vteeth that the knuckle cannot be dragged outbyl the draft strain, even though the pivot pinbe` removed. lhe tendency of the lknuckle lto move laterally, due to the wedging yeectv of the'teeth, will also be resisted by one'er both y of the teeth in approximately'the-longitudinal `direction of the train.

Thus by having-four teeth, the knuckle will be held by one tooth against being dragged out, will be held bythe i opposite toothv against bufling strains,'whilef Athe'two remaining teeth willhold the knuckle against lat-eral motion, either when the train? is going ahead or'backing. l e arrangement is that the four teeth-will always The'result of thisv hold the knuckle against two motions, the oneatiright angles to the other, vand the result will be to x it in position until the lock be lifted. After uncoupling, in order to set the lock, reverse the operation of uncoupling, and thus draw the face Zr, of the bell-crank llever-K from beneath the lug d2 at the rear of the lock D. This will allow the lock to fall down into the position shown in Figs. 1,2, and 3, when it will be ready to operate automatically. l I

The hook-shaped wing c of the knuckle when swung out into the uncoupled position,

as 'shown "in dotted lines in Fig. 5, raises the latch somewhat, Aand thus causes it to partly block the mouth of the drawhead when open, and the latch and the wing beneath the same materially-assist i-n keepingsnow, sleet, rain, lor other solid V`matterfcarried by the aii` out of the drawhead when the lknuckle is swung open.

,Altwill be seen that not only is the neces.

`head clear of the track. Thus any breaking rloose of the drawhead from the draft rigging or anyparting of the drawbar i-n rear of the drawhead, will cause the drawhead to be `drawn forward bodily putting a `tension on the rod Mr and causing it to lift the latch D anduncouplethecarahead. Anyfurtherfon vward movement of the broken drawbar will cause the bar M to tend to bind the same in the draft rigging; but if the drawbar be broken off too near the drawhead, or be drawn 'forward too violently in the first instance so as to become entirely clear of the draft rigging,then the'broken 0E drawhead will swing about -the hook m as ra pivot and Vwill be draggedialong the ground outside of the track, thus'preventing the damage Well known to occur from broken off drawheads falling on the track. These, andthe lvarious other advantages of the herein described construction will be appreciated by anyone skilled in the art.

The springE'is intended togive a .positive motion to the lock D, but it is evident that the said lock'will fall by gravity alone, and thus operate without the assistance of the sai-d spring.

It will be obvious that many modifications of the hereindescribed de vice-might be made, which could be used without departing from thes'pirit of my invention.

Y Having-thus described -my invention, what II-claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent o-f the United States, is-

54o,1i1 i s y1. In a twin jaw car coupling, the combination with a hollow drawhead, of a knuckle pivoted in'said drawhead and provided with a locking arm adapted to enter into the hollow portion of said drawhead, alock pivoted across said drawhead, and provided with an inclined face and a catch on the lower side thereof, the said look being adapted to fall by gravity and engage said locking arm of said knuckle, a lever pivoted in said drawhead and having one arm adapted to trip said lock and release said arm; a hand rod connected to the other arm of said lever and leading to the side of the car, a hook at the outer end of said hand rod, and means for pivotally engaging said hook at the side of the car, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a twin jaw car coupling, the combination with a hollow drawhead, of a knuckle pivoted in said drawhead, and provided with a locking arm adapted to enter into the hollow portion of said drawhead, a lock pivoted across said drawhead and pro-videdwith an inclined face, and a catch on one side thereof, a spring normally pressing on the opposite side of said lock, a lever pivoted in said drawhead and having one arm adapted to trip said lock, and release said arm; a hand rod connected to the other arm of said lever and pro vided with a hook at its outer end, and a loop at the side of the car supporting and holding said hook, substantially as described.

3. In a twin jaw car coupling, the combination with a hollow drawhead provided with a curved recess therein, of a knuckle O pivoted in said drawhead and provided with a hookshaped wing c adapted to enter into said curved recess and a bearing face c2, a lock D pivoted across said drawhead and provided with an inclined face d; a bearing face d5, a circular heel d engaging in a corresponding recess in said drawhead, and grooved at d", the said lock being adapted to fall by gravity and engage said locking arm of said knuckle, and a vertical pin H entering into said groove in said heel, a bell-crank lever pivoted in said drawhead and having one arm adapted to trip said lock and release said locking arm of the knuckle and to support said lock when open, and an operating rod connected to the other arm of said lever, substantially as described.

4. In a twin jaw car coupling, the combination with a hollow drawhead provided with a curved recess therein, of a knuckle C pivoted in said drawhead, and provided with a hookshaped wing c adapted to enter into said curved recess and a bearing face c2, a lock D pivoted across said drawhead and provided with an inclined face cl; a bearing face d5, and a lug d2 on the lower side thereof, and a lug on the upper side thereof, a spiral spring engaging said lug and interposed between said lock and the inner wall of the drawhead, a lever pivoted to said drawhead and having one arm adapted to trip said lock and release said arm; and an operating rod connected to the other arm of said lever, and pivotally attached to the side of the car substantially as described.

5. In a twin jaw car coupling, the combination with a hollow drawhead provided with four wedge-shaped equidistant teeth arranged in a circle about the pivot of the lower horn of the-drawhead, and two of said teeth being approximately at' right angles to the longitudinal axis of the car of a knuckle pivoted in said drawhead and provided with a lockin g arm adapted to enter into the hollow portion of drawhead, and four wedge-shaped teeth arranged in a circle about the pivot, on the lower side of said knuckle and adapted to engage the wedge-shaped teeth in the drawhead; a lock pivoted across said drawhead and provided with an inclined face, and a catch on one side thereof, a spring normally pressing on the opposite side of said lock; a bell-crank lever pivoted in said drawhead; an operating rod connected thereto for tripping said lock and releasing said arm, a hook at the end of said rod, and a loop at the side of the car engaging in and holding said hook, substantially as described.

6. In a twin jaw car coupling, the combination with a hollow drawhead B provided with four wedge-shaped teeth arranged in a circle about the pivot in the lower horn of the drawhead, and a curved recess h', of a knuckle C pivoted in said drawhead and provided. with a hook-shaped wing c adapted to enter into the said curved recess, a bearing face c2 and four wedge-shaped teeth arranged in a circle about the pivot and adapted to engage said teeth in the drawhead, a latch pivoted across said drawhead and provided with an inclined face d; and a bearing face d5 on the lower side thereof, means for causing said latch to engage said knuckle, and means for tripping said latch and releasing it from engagement with said knuckle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In a twin-jaw car coupling, the combination with a hollow drawhead, provided with four wedge-shaped teeth equidistant from each other and arranged in a circle about the lower horn of the drawhead, two of the said teeth being approximately at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the car; of a knuckle pivoted in said drawhead and provided with four wedge-shaped teeth on the lower side thereof, the said teeth encircling the pivot of said knuckle, and registering with the teeth in the drawhead; and means for locking said knuckle and for unlocking the same, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.`

i JAMES A. ROOSEVELT.

Witnesses:

SEDON HARRIS, R. J. BROWN.

IIO 

